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Tag: 2019 American Birkebeiner

  • Welcome to the Elite Wave

    Welcome to the Elite Wave

     

    Katie Miller on her way to finishing her first elite-wave Birkie. (Photo: courtesy Katie Miller)

    If you’ve ever wondered what the elite wave is like compared to one of the larger later starting waves here is a crash course.  A little background for context, the 2018 American Birkebeiner was my first introduction to the Birkie and the 50K distance. I started in wave 2 and paired with perfect conditions my first Birkie is by far my favorite race I’ve done.  Wave 2, while crowded and congested (think penguins huddled together for warmth) for 5-10 K also lends itself to the ability to continuously catch people. Catching people is motivating and one of my favorite parts of racing. After a strong race last year in which I finished 61st for women (one spot outside the top 60 who auto qualify for the elite wave) I had to wait until the end of January 2019 to find out that my request to move up to the elite wave was granted.

    I was ecstatic to get a spot in the elite wave.  The excitement quickly turned to nerves and questioning whether I belonged there.  Wavering back and forth between excitement and nerves was my mindset leading up to the race.  While I consider myself a good skier, I do work full time, graduated from college and skiing competitively eight years ago, and usually only ski on the weekends.  I was unsure what to expect in the elite wave and out of myself.

    In my opinion, travel to Wisconsin went smoothly.  My support team AKA the best parents ever almost missed the flight out so they might not agree with my assessment.  After another narrow miss with our connection, (we were three out of the last four people to get on the plane), we successfully made it to Minneapolis. My dad chose a bright yellow Jeep Wrangler for the weekend, so if you saw an insanely bright jeep that was us! A night spent in Stillwater to break up the travel and on Friday morning we were off on the last leg of our journey to the Birkie.  A gorgeous easy ski from Birkie Ridge was the perfect way to relax my pre-race nerves. Everyone was happy to be out skiing and excited for the race the next day. Comments about the perfect conditions and temperatures of Friday were mixed with some anticipation of the predicted overnight snow and warmer wet temperatures for the race on Saturday. I skied out the Birkie Ridge trail to the intersection with the Birkie trail.  As soon as I stepped on the Birkie trail it was like a wave of euphoric joy and I could not wipe the huge smile off my face.

    A sunny Birkie trail one day prior to the race. (Photo: Katie Miller)

    Friday afternoon consisted of a trip to the expo to pick up my bib and for my dad grabbing as much free stuff as possible.  I went to get my bib and the volunteer commented that I must have been added to the elite wave late as I did not have my name on my bib.  I had not realized that the elite wave was given this honor. The idea of getting my name on my bib next year stuck in my head throughout the race and added extra motivation to my goal of a top 60 finish!  As I searched for my parents in the expo I was greeted with the sight of my dad, pockets bursting with stickers, Clif bars, and other goodies taking shots of maple syrup at one of the booths. At least I knew he would be energized for the rest of our day…

    Fast forward to the next morning, a 5AM  wake up, and eating as much oatmeal as my body could handle.  Nervous excitement racing through me, double and triple checking that I had everything as I packed my bag.  Truthfully, I think I checked about ten times.

    It had snowed a few inches overnight and was a snowy but mild morning. The women in the elite wave and the spirit of 35 would be blazing the trail, packing down the powder for the waves behind us.  The spirit of 35 comprises those skiers that completed the first Birkie in 1973. They have the honor of beginning the race first. The women’s elite wave was next to start, my wave. It’s a strange feeling to say that my wave was the elite wave, how cool is that?  How nerve wracking is that?!

    Rewind to a few weeks before the race and adding to my apprehension about the elite wave was breaking one of my boots and having to borrow my boyfriend’s boots for the race.  Less than ideal to borrow someone else’s boots for a 50K. One more hurdle of getting sick the week before the race and my preparation leading up to the race was not exactly as I had planned.  My jokes about having an actual Birkie fever were lost on my non-skiing coworkers.

    When it comes down to it, everyone in the race is dealing with outside factors.  It’s how you deal with them that often affects the outcome of your race, not that they are present.  When it came down to it, I was still there, in the elite wave, ready for the experience. Just to be able to say that I started in the elite wave of the Birkie is an honor.  I may have had to hold on for dear life when it started but at least I was there.

    My nerves subsided as I walked into the start pen and the excitement of the other women in my wave was palpable, everyone smiling from ear to ear.  That excitement was only heightened when we saw Kikkan Randall in the front row of the wave. The announcers acknowledged Kikkan, welcoming her to the Birkie, pumping everyone up talking about her and Jessie Diggins gold medal a year earlier. Not only was I starting in the elite wave, I was starting in the elite wave with Olympic gold medalist Kikkan Randall. I talked to a skier next to me, fangirling about starting in the same wave as Kikkan.  As the minutes turned to seconds and the starters readied to pull up the banner, each skier came to their ready position. And just like that the elite wave was off!

    It was fast from the start, I had only just said hello to the elite wave in the start pen and just like that I said goodbye.  The wave took off so fast I thought Kikkan might have been showing off those gold medal sprinting skills off the line. The wave quickly spread out and down the powerlines I could see the lead women stringing out the group.  

    And just like that the only time I’ve ever felt “lonely” at the Birkie started. In comparison to starting in wave 2 I was skiing mostly alone and fast.  Catching many other skiers and skiing in big groups was not part of my Birkie experience this year. The elite wave was a test of my mental toughness and a test of my desire to push myself for 50K.  The comradery that defines the Birkie still on full display, as “lonely” as it was, I never felt a lack of support. The women I did get to ski with were motivating and we talked about how many Birkies we had done.  The spectators and volunteers were as positive and numerous as I remembered from the year before. The men in the lead pack passed me approximately an hour and 10 minutes into my race. These men racing to win the Birkie made a point to cheer when they went by.  The second half of the race included more of the men passing making the trail busier and adding some much-needed distraction to the race.

    I think the comradery that is shared in the Birkie is easy to explain. There are skiers who blister around the course in a quick 2 hours and change and there are skiers that take 7-8 hours. Each skier ready to tackle a challenging 50+K race all with one goal, finish the race.  No matter your skill or experience skiing, whether you are a professional training 500+ hours a year or someone who just learned to ski there is no guarantee when you start a 50k that you will finish. The goal of finishing a 50k is the most important goal for every skier that starts the Birkie.  Everyone shares the same basic goal.

    I had to fight for 50K, to push myself physically and mentally to be uncomfortable for 50K.  I did not feel my best and it was as much a physical race as it was a mental race, to keep my mind engaged and talking to myself positively.  I feel grateful to the few women I skied with for extended periods of time for encouraging me, letting me help pull them where I was stronger (and vice versa), and for every skier, volunteer, and spectator for pushing me all the way to downtown Hayward.  

    A snow-carpeted Main Street in Hayward, WI. (Photo: Katie Miller)

    The last 15K of the race lent itself to a busier trail as the men of the elite wave continued to come through, words of encouragement shared between us, anticipation of reaching Main St. helping each skier push through the last part of the race.  When I stepped off the lake I saw my mom holding a sign reading “Go Katie!” and cheering enthusiastically. This moment was extra special as my mom had missed seeing me when I skied by her last year (like I said so many people everywhere!) so we made sure that did not happen again this year!  As I made my way to Main St. there was no way in the world to feel lonely, both sides of the course lined with spectators loudly letting you know how amazing your accomplishment of finishing 50+K is, no matter if you finish in 2 hours or 8 hours.

    The elite wave was a challenge I cannot wait to tackle again next year.  With a little time to reflect on the race, another year of Birkie experience under my belt, and the knowledge of what to expect in the elite wave I’m ready do it again.  I reached my goal of finishing top 60 but I was left wanting more, so I think that means training for Birkie 2020 starts now!

    Katie MIller is a former UNH skier who remains devoted the sport. 

  • The Purple Wave: 2019 American Birkebeiner

    The Purple Wave: 2019 American Birkebeiner

    2019 American Birkebeiner Purple Wave. (Photo: D’Lee Dreyer)

    FasterSkier’s American Birkebeiner coverage is made possible through the generous support of New Moon Ski & Bike in Hayward, Wisconsin. While you are at the Birkie be sure to visit New Moon Ski & Bike for all your local expertise.

    ***

    In the days leading up to North America’s largest nordic ski race, the American Birkebeiner, I found myself dissociating. When given the option of fight or flight, my brain was already halfway out the door.  Work productivity came easily and daydreaming was at a peak. “Wouldn’t it be rippin’ to play Iron Maiden covers on the banjo?” I mused. Google Fear of the Dark banjo covers.

    The weekend before the race, my training schedule clearly indicated my longest training day on skis to date… so I went splitboarding instead.  Despite my less-than-diligent approach at the eleventh hour, the backcountry plodding uphill, in thick snow, served as better training than anticipated.

    Race day arrived and with it, a blanket of new snow. Birkie neophytes all wore purple and would start dead last in Wave 8. The People’s Wave, as I affectionately call it.  Pre-race jitters sent me to the porta potty for a third visit and by the time I lined up, I was in the way back.

    The announcer prompted racers to be sure to start in the tracks.  The alluded to tracks were nowhere to be seen – just mashed potato snow mixed with the occasional gel wrapper.  Tracks or no tracks, I had a plan. I was ready to double pole like my life depended on it, then skate out hard until the trail highpoint.

    All did not go as planned.

    The starting shots rang out and the mass of purple bib-wearers didn’t so much spring, but dribble across the start line.  For the first 10K of the race, we were massed closely together, like so many sea turtles, fin-flopping through loose sand on our way to the ocean. Wedge-skied, alternating pole Conga lines clamored up squishy hills and reeled down scoured luge lines.

    In my training time with Rebecca Dussault (Yes –that Dussault, the Olympian who won the Birkie in 2009 and 2010), she coached me on how to draft off passing racers and how to sneak sips of water while step turning a downhill corner.  I did not relish the thought of reporting back to my coach that I posted a DNF (did not finish) due to crab walking exhaustion, so I got more aggressive and passed where I could.

    “On your left. On your right. Coming through!”  The purple crowd started to thin. I was skiing with a good mix of colors now.

    With a little more room to work, my skis and race day recommended wax were fast underfoot.  Now, I just had to give the oomph to move the gear forward, towards the Main Street finish line.

    The aid stations were rowdy, festive affairs. They also posed a good opportunity to squeak by a scrum of skiers. I forwent the liquid energy and skipped the Jägermeister shots, and skied on, opting to stick with water and the maple packets I loaded up on at the Birkie Expo. Shooting pure maple syrup through the hardwood forests of Wisconsin felt on-theme.

    After passing the OO aid station, which is approximately the halfway mark, I began to flag. I needed a diversion, so I started soliciting other skiers for a verbal distraction.

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    “You look like you give a good pep talk,” I’d say. Without exception, they all gave good pep talks. The course between 30K and 40K whizzed by.  

    Then gradually, the distance and hours of continuous effort added up. By the time I hit the lake, all form had disintegrated.  The flats were supposed to be easy, but I was doing the survival shuffle. And mumbling to myself – more specifically, to my body parts. “It’s ok feet. Hang in there legs. Hush shoulders. You can make it another 3K.”

    I did not draft off any race trains. No land speed records were broken, but I DNFOF (did not fall on face), even though there were plenty of obstacles provided by the course and the humans on the course. As one of my pep talkers so eloquently put it

    “Pain is temporary. Finishing is forever.”

    DF (Did finish) and proud in purple.  – KB

    One American Birkie down. Katie Bradish post-50k. (Photo: MarathonFoto)

    Katie Bradish (@katiebradish) is an investigative athlete and will be a contributing writer for Faster Skier from Sandpoint, Idaho. Bradish decided to learn to Nordic ski with some hard deadlines. With the support of Fischer Nordic, SWIX USA and Coach Rebecca Dussault, Bradish will race in three Worldloppet races by the end of 2020. Uff-dah!

     

  • First Time American Birkebeiner Winners: Alayna Sonnesyn and Akeo Maifeld-Carucci

    First Time American Birkebeiner Winners: Alayna Sonnesyn and Akeo Maifeld-Carucci

    SMS T2 skier Alayna Sonnesyn with the 2019 American Birkebeiner win. (Photo: James Netz)

    FasterSkier’s American Birkebeiner coverage is made possible through the generous support of New Moon Ski & Bike in Hayward, Wisconsin. While you are at the Birkie be sure to visit New Moon Ski & Bike for all your local expertise.

    Falling snow. Not too frigid temps. And a layer of fresh snow overlaying the 50 kilometers of undulating terrain for the 2019 American Birkebeiner. Perhaps no matter the conditions, it is cross-country ski racing paradise. The event marks a gathering of nordic skiers from across the continent there to partake in an event boasting serious on-the-verge-of-leg-cramp racing and a double dose of Wisconsin culture. Norwegian sweaters and Birkebeiner chotschi aside, the famed point to point race defines head to head tactics and fitness.  

    Amidst the infamous trail lined with deciduous trees that eventually opens up onto Lake Hayward in the event’s closing kilometers – the 50 k skate saw a new winner in the elite men’s and women’s categories.

    In her first year training full time after graduating from the University of Vermont last spring, twenty-two-year-old Alayna Sonnesyn took the overall win in the women’s race. Sonnesyn now trains fulltime with the SMS T2 based at the Stratton Mountain School in Vermont.

    But she is to the bone Midwest and understands the import of the win.     

    “There is definitely so much excitement and enthusiasm in the state of Wisconsin right now for this race and so it is pretty cool to be a part of it,” Sonnesyn said in call after her win. “This was my first time racing up Main Street and to hear those thousands of people cheering was pretty unforgettable and my whole body kind of went numb when I heard that. It is amazing to be part of an event that has so much passion and love for this sport. It was pretty fun.”

    For those not partaking in the event but wanting to know how each k went down for the winner. Where the screws were turned. Where the skis felt silky. Where they felt like the wax tech corked in a top coat of 40 grit sandpaper.

    In Sonnesyn’s exuberant retelling, the 10 k to go mark was the ah-hah. Until then, a foursome of skiers had broken away to make the elite selection of the elite wave: APU’s Becca Rorabaugh, Katie Feldman (SVSEF Gold Team), Anja Gruber (Salomon), and Sonnesyn. In the midst of the 10 k and 9 k markers, Rorabaugh began to peel little by little off the back. The three remaining skiers kept the strong pull going to separate themselves.

    “Anja, Katie and I were definitely picking up the pace and really working hard,” Sonnesyn said. “And I had been taking plenty of feeds the entire race and I still felt really energetic. My muscles were definitely getting pretty tired. but I still felt like I had a lot in me.”

    As the k’s began to click past, Sonnesyn passed over route 77 where she took another feed.

    “As soon as I crossed 77 I just felt this jolt of energy,” said Sonnesyn. “I think from a coke feed that I got or from some of the cheering there and also just realizing that I have got 5 K left. If I want to go I have got to go.”

    2019 American Birkebeiner women’s podium from left to right: Anja Gruber in second, Alayna Sonnesyn in first, and Katie Feldman third. (Photo: Sally Krueger)

    In a race like the American Birkie, the mental stamina to stay in it can rattle some and embolden others. With so many K’s to ski, it always seems safe to wait. Wait until a bit closer to the finish to make a move. With 50,000 meters to race, late can never seem too late. That is until the opportunity is abruptly snagged away.

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    “I thought in the back of my mind, ‘you know I could go for it here and win or I could just be patient and maybe not even make the podium,’” she said. “To me, I thought it was worth it to go for it and take that risk and take the chance to break away.”

    The moment was for real. A groomed Hayward main street. A cacophony of cheers. And Sonnesyn, alone amongst her elite wave peers, won in a time of 2:34:01 hours.

    “I did keep looking across my shoulder but once I got onto Main Street up and over that bridge it was surreal. All the cheering just hit like my entire body went numb. I was overcome with emotion and definitely by the time I crossed the finish line and realized I had actually done it I broke down.”

     

    Akeo Maifeld-Carucci in green, Brian Gregg (left), and Matt Liebsch (right) down Main Street in Hayward, WI. (Photo: James Netz)

    Phonetically, it is a unique name, but a simple one. Say it: “Ahh-key-oh” … Akeo. The first name has Marshall Island roots, the last name possess a Euro core. It’s Akeo Maifeld-Carucci.

    The twenty-ski-year Maifeld-Carucci can ski.

    But let’s dial the time machine back a bit and be a bit less formal and go with the first name. Akeo skied at Harvard, then spent stints training in Bozeman (his hometown) and Bend before settling in with the Craftsbury Green Racing Project last June.

    He is a mechanical engineer. As much as he is an endurance junkie, he is a fastidious analyzer. Not a bad trait in the world of design and build, but on the race course, analyzing can help only to a point. On some occasions, the over-analysis can see the make-your-move-moment lost.

    “We were at Double OO, which is 28 k from the finish or so is when Brian Gregg really put in a move,” Maifeld-Carucci said in a phone call. “There is a prime there and he went for the prime. And there is this hard gradual uphill section right after the prime and he maintained, he put a gap on us. No one really chased him and he maintained that gap for a little bit and I was like, ‘Brian is really strong we should probably try and close down on that’. So I just went to the front. Closed down. Then I looked back and saw that Matt Liebsch was on me. So it was the three of us and we had maybe a twenty-meter gap back to the rest of the pack.”

    Closing the gap right then and there was the first of several clinching moves. The analysis worked. It was Maifeld-Carucci and two of the American Birkebeiner’s most knowledgeable elders in Liebsch and Gregg. As the trio raced on, according to Maifeld-Carucci, Liebsch went to the front and stated this was the time to separate from the chase.

    “And I was sitting there and thinking ‘well, there is a little downhill after this and usually, it is really early to go and usually the pack can close on that downhill stretch because they move faster,’” Maifeld-Carucci said as he reflected on a moment of doubt. “I had heard a couple of guys before the start saying, ‘oh a break at OO never lasts, people always close it on the k-and-a-half of rolling downhill after that. The pack moves faster on that downhill stretch so the gap never lasts at OO.’”

    The real-time analysis at OO made Maifeld-Carucci hesitate.

    “I was nervous but then when they said, ‘I think we can make it’ and I knew Matt and Gregg are strong and they know the course really well, so I was considering that,” said Maifeld-Carucci.

    Considering. Computing. Sensing the energy reserves and the stamina left in his legs. Again, like closing down Gregg’s pulse, Maifeld-Carucci’s endurance calculus told him to trust in Gregg, Liebsch, and himself.

    SMS T2 skier Alayna Sonnesyn with the 2019 American Birkebeiner win. (Photo: James Netz)

    “It was nerve-wracking,” said Maifeld-Carucci. “I felt my legs starting to tighten up maybe on the edge of cramping even from 20 k out. So I was a little nervous about that, because you know that is a lot of race left. I was trying to flirt with the line of how fast I can go without pushing too hard and using too much power and making the legs cramp. I was dealing with that and it only got worse.”

    But not bad enough. Across the lake, and over the American Birkebeiner International Bridge with 400 meters to go the sprint was almost on. Not before the path to victory was thoroughly analyzed did his motor truly rev.

    “We dropped into the finishing stretch, 400 meters of just straight away gradual uphill and I kept telling myself, ‘’you don’t want to lead and you don’t want to go too early.’ I was trying to wait. But the crowd was so loud and so explosive I just couldn’t wait any longer I saw the finish line, felt the noise and I was like ‘screw that, we have got to go.’”

    As precise a win as can be over 50 k, Maifeld -Carucci won by 0.9 seconds over Gregg in second. Liebsch placed third (+8.5). The winning time was 2:12:34.9 hours.

  • Birkie, Korte & Prince Haakon Price Increase This Friday

    Birkie Week Smaller Events Registration Also Opens

    North America’s #1 & #2 Cross-Country Ski Races Filling Fast

    (Press release)

    HAYWARD, Wis. (September 5, 2018) – With fall temperatures in the air, thoughts turn quickly to the change in seasons, fall leaves, and snow. The Birkie week of festivities is a mere 168 days away and thousands of skiers have already registered for the Slumberland American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet, and Prince Haakon races to date. Friday, September 7 marks a price increase for all three races (skiers must register by 11:59pm on Thursday, September 6 to avoid the price increase), with the final price increase on November 2, 2018.  The Birkie is North America’s largest cross-country ski race and is scheduled for Saturday, February 23, 2019, with the Kortelopet, North America’s second largest ski race, and Prince Haakon, on Friday, February 22, 2019. Skiers from 49 states and 36 countries participated in 2018 Birkie week events.

    Friday, February 22, 2018

    Kortelopet 29K & Prince Haakon15K – Both races will finish in downtown Hayward with the Kortelopet starting at the Highway OO Trailhead and the Prince Haakon starting near Mosquito Brook.

    Saturday, February 23, 2018

    45th Annual Slumberland American 50K Skate/55K – Thousands of skiers journey from Cable, WI, on the Birkie Trail, through the north woods, across Lake Hayward, and over the American Birkebeiner International Bridge to the finish line on Hayward’s snow-covered Main Street. It’s the Greatest Show on Snow!

    Currently, Birkie skate Waves 1 & 2 are closed with Wave 3 (94%), Wave 4 (91%), Wave 5 (80%), and Wave 6 (84%) nearing capacity. Birkie classic Wave 1 is closed with Wave 2 (85%), Wave 3 (89%), and Wave 4 (81%) nearing capacity. Similarly, Kortelopet and Prince Haakon races are rapidly filling. There is a 10,800-participant race cap for the combined Birkie, Korte and Prince Haakon races. Registration will close when this cap is reached. Wave Placement is based on first registered, first seeded basis. Once a wave has filled, participants will be placed in the next available wave.

    Registration for the 2019 Junior Birkie, Barnebirkie, Birkie Adaptive, Barkie Birkie Skijor, and Birkie Giant Ski opened today, September 5, 2018 for the Birkie week of events starting on Thursday, February 21, 2019. Registration for all events is available at www.Birkie.com.

    About the American Birkebeiner® Ski Foundation and Birkie® Events

    Located near Hayward and Cable, Wisconsin, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF), a 501(c)(3) organization, is known for its signature American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon held each February. Today, the Birkie has grown to encompass a variety of year-round, silent sport events that promote a healthy, active lifestyle for thousands of outdoor fitness enthusiasts. The ABSF also acts as steward of the legendary Birkie Trail, providing year-round grooming, mowing and maintenance to all 100+ kilometers. From the iconic Slumberland American Birkebeiner ski race, to the Birkie Trail Run Festival, and Fat Bike Birkie, the ABSF and the Birkie Trail attract skiers, runners, bikers, trekkers, and hikers, from casual day-trippers to elite athletes. Learn more at www.birkie.com.

  • 2019 Birkie Registration Now Open

    (May 1 press release) 

    Who: American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation

    What: Registration opened for the 2019 American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation slate of events.

    When: As of noon today, well over 1000 registrations have already been received for the Slumberland American Birkebeiner race alone.

    Event Dates:

    Friday, February 22, 2019

    Saturday, February 23, 2019

    Saturday, March 9, 2019

    Sunday, January 13, 2019

    • BirkieTour
    • The BirkieTour, an untimed, aid station supported ski tour of the Birkie Trail

    Where: Events are in Hayward & Cable, Wisconsin. Registration for all events is open and available at www.Birkie.com.

    Why: “Silent sports, including Birkie events, provide an estimated over twenty-million-dollar economic impact to northwest Wisconsin alone,” said Ben Popp, American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, Executive Director. “Birkie events provide year-round opportunities for people from around the world to join together for healthy, active lifestyle events in the great north woods of Wisconsin.”

    About the American Birkebeiner® Ski Foundation and Birkie® Events

    Located near Hayward and Cable, Wisconsin, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation (ABSF), a 501(c)(3) organization, is known for its signature American Birkebeiner Ski Marathon held each February. Today, the Birkie has grown to encompass a variety of year-round, silent sport events that promote a healthy, active lifestyle for thousands of outdoor fitness enthusiasts. The ABSF also acts as steward of the legendary Birkie Trail, providing year-round grooming, mowing and maintenance to all 100+ kilometers. From the iconic American Birkebeiner ski race, to the Birkie Trail Run & Trek, and Fat Bike Birkie, the ABSF and the Birkie Trail attract skiers, runners, bikers, trekkers, and hikers, from casual day-trippers to elite athletes. Learn more at www.birkie.com. BIRKIE Ski. Run. Bike. Live!